Enciente
by MizJoely
Summary: A remix of Miabicicletta's story "Love Bite", post-TAB Victorian style.


_This is a remix of miabicicletta's one-shot "Love Bite" reimagined via "The Abominable Bride". Many thanks to her for letting me use her story as a springboard for my imagination!_

* * *

Only two of the three (living) men currently occupying St Barts morgue were privy to the fact that Miss Molly Hooper was not actually the twin sister of Mr Matthew Hooper. Inspector Lestrade remained blissfully ignorant of the fact that the two were, in fact, one and the same person. He was also unaware of the fact that Miss Hooper owed her current position at the hospital to the political machinations of Mr Mycroft Holmes, at the behest of his younger brother, who stood in the doorway to the morgue, flanked by Lestrade and Watson.

Holmes was the only one not gaping in a scandalised fashion at Miss Hooper, whose outline had gained a decided roundness most noticeable when viewed in profile. "I say," Watson spluttered in a low voice, unable to tear his gaze from the unexpected sight before him. "Miss Hooper is with child!"

Lestrade seemed too thunder-struck to speak, his mouth hanging open as his eyes tracked Miss Hooper's confident movements around the body she was examining. She wore a cloth mask over her mouth and nose, thus obscuring her features, but in spite of that there was no question as to her identity.

The only question in Watson's mind was regarding the parentage of her unborn child's father. Since the resolution of the case he'd published as 'The Abominable Bride' six months previous, he'd had very little contact with the young woman, and none at all with any of her former cohorts save his maid, Mary Ann, whom he'd been tempted to sack but for the soothing reassurances of his wife, Mary, that no, the young woman had not intended him to be her victim.

"Who is the father?" he whispered, a question not specifically directed to either of the men standing by him, but more a general query signalling his confusion. "And why has she not been dismissed...ah, never mind," he muttered as he saw Holmes twitch irritably. Of course she would not be dismissed for questionable morals, not when her position was secured by Mycroft Holmes himself.

He cast his mind backwards in a fruitless search for knowledge about Miss Hooper's possible romantic entanglements. It had been months since he'd seen her, as very few of Holmes' cases had required their presence in the morgue, at least not as a team. With an internal start he realized that he'd not set foot in Baker Street for roughly the same length of time. Oh, he and Holmes had taken on their fair share of cases, but he'd been so caught up in more domestic affairs - and in occasionally assisting his wife with her work for Mycroft Holmes - that he'd not bothered to do more than pause to give his regards to Mrs. Hudson before returning to his own home.

"Is it possible the father is that delivery chap who was chatting her up earlier in the year?" Lestrade offered tentatively. "Tommy, I think his name was? Didn't he ask her join him for tea?"

"Oh, yes, I recall they did seem to be rather cosy for a while," Watson agreed. "But surely not close enough for…"

"They enjoyed a few cups of tea together, but that was as far as it went," Holmes said authoritatively. "Baby's not his."

"How do you know?" Lestrade asked, skeptical. "You're not one for chatting people up, exactly."

"It's obvious." He gave them a withering look. "Her slight infatuation with Tom ended within days of their first encounter, and thus she let him down, far too gently in my opinion. She's not only become involved with another man, but she's actually married him, as you would have noticed had you paid attention to the gold ring she wears on a chain - Spanish silver - around her neck when at work. He's the father, so there's no need to fret over her reputation." With a devilish glint in his eyes, he added, "They're having quite a lot of sex, especially given she's, oh, four, four and a half months along? Second term, when anecdotal evidence indicates an increase in sexual desire for women. In fact, they had a particularly engaging round of intercourse just this morning in their shared flat."

Lestrade and Watson both dropped their jaws at this remarkable series of statements, their faces flushing beet red at the mention of sexual congress, especially as it pertained most particularly to the woman they were observing. Who continued about her labours but whose shoulders were twitching in an odd manner, almost suggestive of...

"And of course you haven't failed to observe that the lady in question has been listening to this entire conversation and finds it most amusing," Holmes said in normal tone of voice. With a smirk at his flustered companions' mortified reactions, he added loudly, "Isn't that correct, wife?"

Molly turned toward them, lowering the mask and smiling. "Indeed it is, husband." She offered the utterly flummoxed Lestrade and Watson a sweet smile before beckoning the trio closer. "But enough of our private life, Holmes, I believe you've come to see Mr. Hardington. Shall I share some information our friends might consider a wee bit more socially acceptable - at least, here in the morgue?"

Holmes clapped his hands together. "Excellent!" Then he stripped off his gloves, and both Lestrade and Watson's eyes were immediately drawn to the band of gold around his left ring finger. "Don't bother questioning why you never noticed it, even when I removed my gloves for cases, gentlemen, I can assure you that you already know the answer!"

Lestrade let out a gusty sigh. "I suppose it's because we see but we don't observe."

Watson nodded, but said nothing aloud.

For the sake of his dignity, he just hoped that this was going to be as much a surprise for Mary as it had been for him!


End file.
